The Girl Next Door (2004 film)

The Girl Next Door
Theatrical release poster
Directed byLuke Greenfield
Screenplay by
Story by
  • David T. Wagner
  • Brent Goldberg
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyJamie Anderson
Edited byMark Livolsi
Music byPaul Haslinger
Production
companies
Distributed by20th Century Fox
Release dates
  • February 18, 2004 (2004-02-18) (Texas Film Festival)
  • April 9, 2004 (2004-04-09) (U.S.)
Running time
109 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$20–25 million
Box office$30.4 million

The Girl Next Door is a 2004 American romantic sex comedy film directed by Luke Greenfield and written by David Wagner, Brent Goldberg, and Stuart Blumberg, and starring Emile Hirsch, Elisha Cuthbert, Timothy Olyphant, James Remar, Chris Marquette, and Paul Dano. The story follows Matthew Kidman, a high school senior who falls in love with his new neighbor, Danielle, and discovers she is a former adult film actress.

Development for The Girl Next Door began as early as 2001. The film's screenplay was partly inspired by Risky Business (1983). Principal photography occurred primarily in Los Angeles County, California and Las Vegas. The film features cinematography by Eric Alan Edwards and a score by Paul Haslinger.

The Girl Next Door premiered at the Texas Film Festival on February 18, 2004, before being theatrically distributed nationwide by 20th Century Fox on April 9, 2004. It received mixed reviews, with praise for its performances but criticism for tonal inconsistencies. Though it underperformed at the box office, The Girl Next Door later gained a cult following through home media and television, with retrospective appreciation for its genre subversion and portrayal of the adult entertainment industry.